Ancient Ice Cores Give Clues to Effects of Global Warming

Ancient Ice Cores Give Clues to Effects of Global Warming

A new study indicates that the last interglacial period may give us a picture of where the planet is headed now, as greenhouse gases increase and temperatures rise. Results from the NEEM deep ice core drilling project, led by the University of Copenhagen, show that during the Eemian period, between 130,000 and 115,000 years ago, the temperature in north Greenland was about 14 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than today. However, the surface of the north Greenland ice sheet was only a few hundred yards lower than it is today, indicating that it contributed less than half of the total sea rise at the time.

Calculations indicate Greenland’s ice sheet volume was reduced by no more than 25 percent between 128,000 years ago and 122,000 years ago, says CU-Boulder geological sciences professorJim White.